Interview with Author – Anthony Maldonado

About Anthony Maldonado:
Anthony Maldonado was born in southern California on August 18, 1979. He earned a degree in biomedical sciences from University of California, Riverside in 2001 as well as a MD from UCLA’s school of medicine in 2004. He then went on to complete his internship and residency in Emergency Medicine, in which he currently practices. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Bernice.

Aside from writing, Anthony enjoys running, hiking, and dabbles in a bit of woodworking in his garage. He is fully in touch with his inner (really outer) nerd and enjoys video/computer games as well a range of entertaining movies and cartoons.

What inspires you to write?
As I progressed in my adult life and accomplished my career goals, the one thing that seemed missing was a creative outlet. When I was younger, that outlet was drawing. While I did enjoy that, I wanted to create something I could share with more people. I only briefly toyed with the idea of writing for a while until one day the decision to actually go for it settled into my mind.

The idea for my first book came to me only as a vague premise. From there, I dove in head first. Now, I have come to enjoy the process of writing and the fun of discovering new twists and turns as the story unfolds.

Tell us about your writing process.
I do not like to plan too heavily when I write. For me, it is more fun to let the story unfold as I go. Of course there are a few things I do plan. For brainstorming, I prefer to use a paper notebook even though I have been told since I was in the 5th grade that I truly have a doctor’s handwriting. I keep one notebook for story and add to it throughout the process.

My first step is to cement the general premise and setting in my mind. Knowing where the story is ultimately leading to gives me a framework to start with. After that, my next step is to understand the personalities of the main characters. Knowing what they are like and how they would react helps me discover what obstacles they will encounter. With the direction and a few key subplots in mind, I dive in and go for it.

I have found that for the most part, doing a little bit each day helps keep things flowing for me. Whenever I feel like the next pages are too clouded for me to see, I go for a run (without any headphones). For me, clearing my mind from distractions and letting it wander while I am out for a run always seems to put things in perspective. Many of my best ideas have come this way.

One of the more important things I have learned is to be flexible with the story. There are so many times new subplots appear as the story unfolds that turn out to be much better than what I previously had in mind.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
For me, to understand my characters I try to get in their heads. What obstacles have they already faced in their lives and how has those experiences shaped the person they are today? The better I understand their internal motivations the more interesting to me they become. There have been many times I planned for a character to do or say something at some point in a story, but when the time comes I can imagine them looking at me and rolling their eyes because they would never do that!

What advice would you give other writers?
Like I mentioned before, I believe being flexible with the story is essential. Don’t be afraid to let your characters drive their own actions.

Being flexible also means to keep your mind open and truly consider any constructive criticism that could enhance your writing. Of course sometimes that is easier said than done, but don’t close your mind and stunt your creative growth.

Above all, remember to have some fun.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
For my first three books, The Securus Trilogy, I have chosen to self-publish. For me, writing is something meant to be an enjoyable outlet. A few years ago, I briefly started the process of working to find a traditional publisher and found for me it was draining all the fun away. So, I took a step back and thought about what my goals really were. In the end, I just want to create something and put it out there. Self-publishing was the best way to do this and not sour me on future projects.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I wish I knew.

What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer

What genres do you write?: My current books and upcoming projects all have a science fiction vibe to them, though I prefer to go too hardcore into the genre. Since I have a medical background, I tend to use that experience to add in some extra elements into my books. Ultimately, my mind often seems to work like a random thought generator. I am open to whatever inspiration that strikes.